How to record sound on 24P cameras and do the sync:

Best cable-less Sound Solution:

Record sound on a second media with TC (DAT, Nagra, DEVA, PD-6 etc). To keep TC on audio identical to TC on video you have to drive the video camera with TC and Tri-level sync. None of the Beta style Cam-corders have continuous TC. There are unpredictable TC jumps when turning power off. These cameras need TC and Genlock (=Tri level sync) from one source or there is serious risk of “green flashes”. There are 2 external portable generators on the market that do this in 2003. They do away with all remote sync + TC wires. The 2nd audio track on the camera is saved for audio.

Ambient has a LOCKIT ACL 202T portable battery powered sync + TC generator.

One LOCKIT per camera drives that camera with trilevel sync and TOD TC (23.9). Another LOCKIT can drive the DAT (or whatever audio recorder) with 48K wordclock and identical TOD TC at a different but “matching every second” frame rate (29.9). Preferred is to use the DAT as the master clock and jam the Camera LOCKITS (23.9) to the DAT (29.9). This way you do not need a LOCKIT for audio. TC will match every full second. The 202T is not good for cross-syncing. With several LOCKITs it is good to have the Master Clock ACC 101 which will adjust and match the base speed of each (rental house) LOCKIT. Battery life 15 hours(with a recent mod 23 hrs). It can be externally powered from F900 power aux out.

Timecode FPS output	DIPSWITCHES							Modeswitch
Timecode FPS output	1	2	3	4	5	6	7 If NiCads=On If Alkaline=Off	A lower	B upper
23.98 PsF	On	Off	On	On	On	Off		â	â	PsF	Sony F900
29.97 Varicam	On	On	Off	Off	Off	Off		â	â		Panasonic HDC27V

Denecke makes the SB-T portable battery powered sync + TC generator. It fulfills the same functions as the LOCKIT. Its base speed can not be adjusted in the field. It does not generate 48K. It is good for cross-syncing. It does all TC rates. It feeds TC and Tri-level. Battery life 3 days. It can be externally powered from F900 aux out.

Quick lookup table

SB-T Settings for F900 at 23.976

Rotary switch: 4

Mode switch: 01

SB-T Settings for AJ-HDC27V at 23.98 picture

Rotary switch: 1

Mode switch: 11

Major Bug in F900: Intermittents !!

We have had several trustworthy reports by fall of 2003 of short interrupts in sound from some of the F900 recorded tapes on playback. You can not hear this on the E-E monitor from the camera. This interrupted sound is occasional and random. The cause is not totally clear, but it happens on many TV shows all the time and on some shows only rarely. It happens to one camera out of 4 here and there, never all at one time, some cameras and some channels seem more susceptible than others.

This fault requires a double system audio record setup.

Following seems to be the general consensus on audio interruptus from CML group and others: It is rare but real. It affects both Panavised AND straight Sony F900 cameras. Some rental house never see it others do at times.

Some say: Power problems can cause it. Genlock problems can cause it. Some say that audio PLL is more sensitive than the pix lock, and thus marginal problems will show up in the audio before the video. There seems to be no good way to predict it. There seems to be no easy way to trouble shoot for it before listing to downconvert or playback on post decks. You will not hear it at the 5 pin E-E audio out. Once it has happened on a particular camera – setup combination it will happen again.

Be prepared - do double system.

F900 manual at http://www.cinematography.net/Files/F900_Ops.pdf

A whole book on F900 and Sound is available at

http://www.locationsound.com/proaudio/ls/SBOK0002.html and http://www.trewaudio.com/catalog/items/item96.htm

DOUBLE SYSTEM SOUND with two timecodes

using no special equipment:

Feed two balanced audio line levels to 3XLR(F) at rear of Sony F900 camera, or use an RF link to eliminate cables.

Confirm camera is running at 23.9 Fr.

Turn EMPH OFF in cameras VTR menu.

Set LINE-MIC switches at rear of camera to LINE.

Set “0” VU tone from mixer to –20dbFS on camera level meters.

Set AUDIO IN switch to REAR.

Tape down level knobs and switches so they don’t move.

Ignore CUE IN.

Set camera TC to TOD (Free Run) or REC RUN as editorial prefers.

Set DAT to 29.97 TC NDF (non drop frame) and 48K.

Set DAT to TOD (Time Of day) or REC RUN as you prefer.

Sync slate with audios TOD TC - or transmit REC RUN TC from DAT.

Clap stix as always letting camera see the slate with readable TC matching DAT.

For TOD DAT needs min. 10 second pre-roll as always.

24P camera needs 10 second pre-roll in TOD for final on-line!

24P camera needs no pre-roll with REC RUN as always (You will find it still takes 8 sec to get camera to speed)!

There is no relationship between Camera TC and Sound TC in this easy setup. Only the slate gives the editors this info.

Safety + convenience crutch: record DAT TC on an audio track of F900 at –30dbFs. To eliminate cables use a TC generator [SB2] (sunk to the DATs TOD TC) on camera feeding track 2.

Protect the whole HD frame visible on HD monitor from boom mike no matter where temporary frame-lines (TV safe or 16x9 etc.) are on the monitor.

Camera master – Sound follow

The simplest double system setup would be with a TC DAT set to 29.97 NDF in TOD free run. If you have a hard line TC feed from the master camera you rejam TC at every camera/DAT start, and the DAT TC will match cameras TC. No slating necessary. The DAT TC will then end up matching the 23.97 of 24P camera or 29.97 TC of digital Betacam or Beta SP or DVCAM. If you want no connection between DAT and camera just run the DAT at 29.9 and slate each take with 29.9 as usual in video.

Another point of view altogether:

The sync boxes are good options for Sports events, Sit Coms, and Concerts with lots of footage that has to be edited quickly.

Lower budget dramas and features or commercials can do without all that expensive technology instead using traditional human effort in post.

Sync cameras in the AM and use record run on all 24P cameras, they won’t match perfectly but so what.

Sound will free run at 29.9 and it wont match anything precisely. Relax already!!

Post folk now have the traditional labor of syncing up. Big friggin deal. They got all the time in the world and are surely saving hassle on the set.

Always: Record Sound in Camera

Result: Once again we did away with an elegant solution to a non-problem.

Also you can do any or all of this:

Use Time code Slate (showing Sounds Free running 29.9 timecode)
Clap the Sticks [ YEA!!!]
Put transmitted sound timecode on a free audio channel in camera at -10.

If you do all of this nothing can go wrong even if some of it dies.

Mixer check list

· Audio PREEMPHASIS OFF on F900

· AGC OFF

· Camera TC: Record Run or Time of Day TOD?

· Camera: one or many? If many must be TOD.

· TC source: camera? DAT? External generator? Ambient 202T? Denecke SB-T?

· TC connector on F900 is a BNC. Get a BNC to 3XLR for DAT input/output cable.

· Cross Jam DAT to camera direct or with GR-1? Ambient 202T? (painful) or Denecke SB-T (easy)

· Camera Inputs: 2 analog line level, 4 Analog tracks w/ Sony HDCA-901.

· Headphone jack? Not on Panavision as of 2003.

· get Evertz Afterburner HD9150 or HD9155 or HD9155Q - AC only – To get 29.97 TC out in step with 23.97 from camera, it also has video sync out for mixers DAT.

· Audio must be 5 frames delayed for early Afterburner 9150 to match NTSC video output. You need this analog delay for headphones feed matching NTSC and video assist picture. With Afterburner 9155 you need AES/EBU D to A converter, no delay. With HD9155au [9155Q] you get “monitor quality” audio in sync from HDSDI stream.

· Audio return: Get audio line out break out cable: 5 Pin to 2 times 3PinXLR (M)!

· Put all this down on paper in advance and have the powers that be sign off on it!

· DA to drive cameras

· Multiple input monitor mixer to listen to cameras or deck returns

· Audio delay to match NTSC down-conversion on the set if necessary

=====================================================

If you are interested in reading the whole book:

Sound for 24P

A hands-on manual written by a Hollywood sound recordist for on set personnel and producers. The argument the book makes is for double system sound even with the new video cameras. Sound on video tape is not reliable, especially with the F900. The book explains how to record sound and timecode onto digital video tape and make a parallel higher confidence recording on DAT or DVD that holds sync in the final ON-LINE edit and “sweetening”. It details timecode procedures for 23.97 and includes: flow diagrams of signal distribution; afterburners; audio delays, requirements for video assist; internet sources; latest shortcuts to bring down post production costs and maintain highest quality, secret menu functions and useful additions to manufacturers manuals. Manufacturers manuals are reproduced, corrected and annotated. Links to the web abound. This book gives guidelines for producers to sort out inevitable squabbles. If you work in film/video sound with the new 24P video cameras, then this is a must-have reference book. There is more in this book than any one person will ever know. Latest details for the Sony HDW-F900 and the HDWF-500 deck, Panasonic AJ-HDC27V, Viper, and Panasonic DV cam AG-DVX100.

List Price only $36.00

Order it on the web: http://www.locationsound.com/proaudio/ls/SBOK0002.html or

http://www.trewaudio.com/catalog/items/item96.htm

Available from:

Location Sound Corporation (818)980-9891,

10639 Riverside Drive, N. Hollywood, CA 91602, locationsound.com

Coffey Sound (323) 876-7525, fax (323) 876-4775
3353 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Hollywood, CA 90068, CoffeySound.com

Trew Audio Inc. (800) 241-8994 or (615)256-3542,

240 Great Circle Road, Ste. 339, Nashville, TN 37228-1707, trewaudio.com

Fletcher Chicago (312) 932-2700 Fax: (312) 932-2799,

1000 N. North Branch Chicago, IL 60622, fletch.com

Gotham Sound & Communications, Inc. (212) 629-9430, fax (212) 629-9436

330 W. 38th St., Ste. 608, New York, NY 10018, gothamsound.com

Southeast Audio Services, (800) 562-8346, (800) 56 AUDIO,

1771 Blount Rd., Ste. 206, Pompano, FL 33069, seaudio.com